THE 


PRE-MILLENNIAL 


BY 


MARY  M.  KIMBLE. 


For  I would  not,  brethren,  that  ye  should  be  ignorent  of  this  mystery, 
(lesl  ye  should  be  wise  in  your  own  conceits.)  that  blindness  in  part  is 
happened  to  Israel,  until  the  fullness  of  the  Gentiles  be  come  in.— Row.  11 ; 25. 


LIMA,  N.  Y. 

A.  TIFFANY  NORTON,  BOOK  AND  JOB  PRINTER,  RECORDER  OFFICE. 

1881. 


r 


INTRODUCTION. 


In  the  spring  of  1879  my  attention  was  called  to  the 
Word  of  Godwin  connection  with  his  works  among  the 
Jews.  I could  not  understand  very  well,  but  I saw 
enough  to  convince  me  that  these  must  be  momentous 
times,  and  that  if  the  Bible  be  true,  there  must  soon  be 
a'  great  change  of  some  kind.  In  the  light  which  the 
realization  of  this  truth  brought  to  bear  I saw  that  I was 
at  a perilous  distance  from  God,  if  the  Lord  Jesus  should 
suddenly  appear.  How  could  I meet  him  ? I called  on 
God  for  light  and  help.  O!  how  worthless  I seemed, 
what  had  I ever  done  tor  Christ  who  had  done  so  much 
for  me  ? I resolved  to  follow  the  leadings  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  asked  for  direction.  I thought  if  I could  write 
about  these  things,  perhaps  it  might  help  somebody  to 
see  the  truth.  I prayed  God  to  show  me  if  it  was  his 
will  that  I should  do  so.  It  seemed  to  me  that  I ought 
to  write  to  the  Jews  concerning  the  matter,  and  al- 
though I did  not  see  the  reason,  yet  because  I had  promis- 
ed to  follow  my  convictions  of  duty  I determined  to  write, 
remembering  that  Abraham  obeyed  and  went  out  not 
knowing  whither  he  went.  I thought  perhaps  this  might 
be  all,  but  I soon  found  it  was  not.  I could  not  go 
to  God  in  prayer  without  this  question  presenting  itself : 
“ Did  you  not  say  you  would  be  guided  by  the  Holy 
Spirit?  ” and  when  I began  to  feel  that  I could  not  fol- 
low and  commenced  to  waver,  a sense  of  great  darkness 
and  condemnation  came  over  me,  I felt  that  I was  griev- 
ing the  Holy  Spirit  by  not  doing  what  I ought.  I cried 
to  God  for  help,  and  said  I will  try  to  follow  whitherso- 
ever Thou  leadest.  I then  commenced  a most  thorough 


4 


search  of  the  Scriptures.  I could  understand  that  a Re- 
storation of  a peculiar  and  glorious  kind  was  promised 
to  the  children  of  Israel,  and  that  God  was  now  without 
doubt  moving  in  that  direction,  (concerning  which  things 
I wrote  to  the  Jews)  but  about  the  Gentiles  I could  not 
understand.  In  Acts.  15,  14-17  James  says  : “ Simeon 

hath  declared,  how  God  at  the  first  did  visit  the  Gentiles 
to  take  out  of  them  a people  for  His  name,  and  to  this 
agree  the  words  of  the  prophets,  as  it  is  written  : After 
this  I will  return  and  will  build  again  theltabernacle  of 
David  which  is  fallen  down,  etc.  Here  the  times  of  the 
Gentiles  are  referred  to  as  belonging  to  the  New  Testa- 
ment, but  for  the  Restoration  the  reader  is  carried  into 
the  Old  Testament,  thus  making  in  an  important  sense, 
the  New  Testament  a Gentile  dispensation.  From  this 
quotation  I could  see  no  reason  for  supposing  that  the 
Restoration  should  begin  before  the  taking  out  of  this 
people,  but  I could  not  see  clearly,  my  mind  was  con- 
fused ; if  the  present  Gospel  conditions  continued  until 
the  end  of  time  I failed  to  see  how  there  could  be  any 
Scriptural  Restoration  of  Israel,  which  there  must  of  a 
necessity  be  if  the  doctrine  of  a millennium  by  spiritual 
progression  be  true.  I could  not  make  a reconciliation, 
and  the  more  closely  I studied  the  more  these  things 
seemed  to  clash.  I therefore  took  them  before  God  in 
fasting  and  in  prayer,  saying  if  it  be  Thy  will  that  I work 
in  this  department  of  thy  Word,  then  it  is  needful  that 
I understand  these  things.  I besought  Him  to  enlighten 
my  mind  by  some  means  and  show  me  the  truth.  Before 
the  day  of  fasting  was  gone,  some  one  came  to  my  room 
and  asked  me  if  I had  seen  an  article  concerning  a change 
in  the  present  Gospel  Dispensation.  I was  very  much 
surprised,  and  said  I had  not.  This  seemed  like  an  an- 
swer to  my  prayer,  but  did  not  satisfy  me.  Not  long 
after  by  a peculiar  train  of  circumstances  I was  called  to 
go  some  distance  from  home  among  entire  strangers  in 
a manner  that  seemed  to  me  unnecessary.  I resolved 
to  ask  the  Lord  to  show  me  whether  it  really  was  His 


5 


will  that  I should  go  on  with  His  work  to  which  His 
Spirit  seemed  leading  by  so  ordering  events  that  I need 
not  go  to  that  place  and  made  it  a subject  of  fasting  and 
prayer  ; the  next  morning  being  still  irrdoubt  I said,  O! 
Lord  I do  believe  that  Thou  answerer  my  prayer  ! but 
just  at  that  moment  this  question  came  to  my  mind  with 
so  much  force  it  seemed  as  if  somy  one  near  me  asked 
it  : “ Would  you  proceed  with  this  work  if  you  were 

obliged  to  go  to  this  place  ?”  I said  Thy  will,  Oh,  God, 
be  done  ! and  felt  that  the  Lord  would  make  it  plain  in 
His  own  way.  While  there  the  article  to  which  my  at- 
tention had  been  called  on  the  day  of  fasting  and  prayer 
came  into  my  possession  in  so  providential  a manner  I 
could  not  but  feel  that  the  Lord  was  endorsing  it.  The 
leading  topics  were  : The  Set  Time  to  Favor  Zion  ; Can 
it  be  Known  When  ? — Jerusalem  in  Prophecy  ; — Close  of 
the  Christian  Dispensation; — Concurring  Testimony  of 
the  Great  Pyramid.  The  treatment  of  these  topics  was 
in  substance,  that  though  the  day  and  hour  of  Christ’s 
coming  may  not  be  revealed  yet  no  reasonable  mind 
can  doubt  that  the  sacred  numbers  were  given,  to  teach, 
at  least,  the  approximate  time  of  that  event  so  that  those 
who.  properly  study  God’s  Word  in  connection  with  his 
works  may  know  when  it  is  nigh,  even  at  the  do.or. 
There  is  overwhelming  evidence  that  we  are  already  in 
the  incipient  stages  of  a new  Dispensation — “Jerusalem  in 
Prophecy.”  The  reader  need  not  be  told  that  a very 
large  proportion  of  the  prophetic  Scriptures  have  a direct 
reference  to  the  final  return  of  scattered  Israel  to  their 
own  land.  The  one  question  now  is,  are  they  in  process 
of  fulfillment.  To  this  there  can  be  but  one  answer. 
Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  present  current  of  affairs 
must  know  that  in  place  of  a few  hundred  Jews  which 
heretofore  dwelt  in  Jerusalem  there  are  now  many 
thousands,  but  though  God  has  set  His  hand  to  the  work 
of  restoring  Israel,  yet  are  they  to  pass  through  the  ap- 
proaching time  to  Jacob’s  trouble  before  their  full  deliv- 
ance  shall  be  wrought  out.  It  is  in  view  of  this  time  of 
trouble  which  is  doubtless  much  nearer  than  most  people 


6 


are  willing  to  believe,  that  Jesus  says:  “Watch  ye 
therefore  and  pray  always  that  ye  may  be  accounted 
worthy  to  escape  all  these  things  that  shall  come  to  pass 
and  to  stand  before  the  son  of  Man.”  This  appears  to  be 
the  next  event  in  the  course  of  prophecy.  The  Great 
Pyramid  seems  wonderfully  to  accord  with  the  Bible  in  a 
prophetic  point  of  view.  If,  as  seems  to  be  the  c^se,  it 
is  the  result  of  Divine  inspiration,  then  what  was  its  in- 
tent ? Let  the  Bible  answer.  Both  doubtless  had  a com- 
mon origin  and  can  bear  solemn  witness  to  each  other. 

“ In  that  day  there* shall  be  an  altar  jin  the  land  of  Egypt. 

* * * And  it  shall  be  for  a sign  and  a witness  unto 

the  Lord  of  Hosts  in  the  land  of  Egypt.”  * * * Nu- 

merous spirituabsymbolisms  are  found  in  its  interior  pas- 
sages and  chambers.  Many  of  the  oldest  scientists  and 
divines  concur  in  the  belief  that  the  grand  gallery  sym- 
bolizes the  Christian  dispensation.  If  this  be  true  the 
year  1881-2  must  in  some  important  sense  terminate  the 
Gospel  age.  This  chamber  is  so  constructed  that  the 
measurements  in  inches,  coincide  exactly  with  the  years 
discovered  long  before  by  able  Bible  students  as  closing 
periods  of  three  very  important  prophecies,  namely  : 
First,  1875  as  closing  the  count  of  the  Jewish  Sabbatic 
system  ; Second,  1878  as  completing  the  double  curse, 
at  which  time  the  Jews  were  granted  liberty  to  return  to 
Palestine  and  rebuild  Jerusalem  ; Third,  the  year  1881 
marking  the  end  of  the  Gospel  harvest.” 

This  did  not,  however,  answer  the  query  in  my  mind 
concerning  the  relation  which  the  Gospels  sustain  to  the 
Old  Testament  prophecies  ; and  I studied  more  critically 
and  prayerfully  and  found  that  Christ  in  all  His  teaching 
endeavored  to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  His  disciples 
that  he  came  to  fulfill  all  that  was  written  concerning 
Him  ; saying  : “ Think  not  that  I am  come  to  destroy 

the  law  or  the  prophets  ; I am  not  come  to  destroy  but 
to  fulfill.”  Therefore  when  Christ  said  to  his  disciples  : 
“ If  I go  and  prepare  a place  for  you  I will  come  again 
and  receive  you  unto  myself,”  He  points  out  the  time  of 
His  coming  by  referring  them  to  the  fulfillment  of  the 
prophecies  concerning  the  completion  of  the  curse. 


7 


If  through  temptation  or  otherwise  I have  thought  to 
leave  this  work  there  has  come  over  my  soul  great  dark- 
ness and  trouble.  This  passage  of  Scripture  is  pressed 
home  to  my  mind  with  great  force  : “ Whosoever  shall 
be  ashamed  of  me  and  my  words,  of  him  shall  the  Son 
of  Man  be  ashamed.”  I,  therefore,  feel  it  my  duty  to  in- 
vite serious  attention  to  the  coincidence  of  the  events  of 
this  present  time  with  the  Word  of  God. 


§he  %nst  or  §onbh  §unse  of  Jferad. 


Men  have  but  to  open  their  eyes  to  see  events  trans- 
piring of  a very  peculiar  character  ; among  them  are  the 
works  of  God  among  the  Children  of  Israel,  such  as  has 
never  before  occurred  since  it  was  said  of  them  that 
they  should  be  led  away  captive  into  all  nations.  The 
nature  of  this  captivity  is  defined  in  Deut.  2 8 ; 63-66. 
“Ye  shall  be  plucked  from  off  the  land  whither  thou 
goest  to  possess  it.  And  the  Lord  shall  scatter  thee 
among  all  people  from  one  end  of  the  earth  even  unto 
the  other.  And  among  these  nations  shalt  thou  find 
no  ease,  neither  shall  the  sole  of  thy  foot  have  rest. 
And  thy  life  shall  hang  in  doubt  before  thee,  and  thou 
shalt  fear  day  and  night,  and  shalt  have  none  assurance 
of  thy  life.” 


The  more  thoroughly  to  appreciate  the  force  of  this 
prediction,  we  will  give  a hasty  glance  at  their  history. 
“ At  the  taking  of  Jerusalem,  it  is  said,  one  million,  one 
hundred  thousand  perished  by  severe  famine  and  pesti- 
lence. In  other  places,  it  is  said,  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  were  cut  off,  besides  great  numbers  being  sent 
into  Egypt  to  labor  as  slaves.  The  Emperor,  Adrian, 
published  an  edict,  forbidding  them  upon  pain  of  death, 
to  set  foot  in  Jerusalem,  or  even  to  approach  the  coun- 
try round  about.  In  the  sixth  century  twenty  thous- 
and of  them  were  slain,  and  as  many  sold  as  slaves.  In 
Spain,  A.  D.,  700,  they  were  ordered*to  be  enslaved.  In 
the  tenth,  eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries,  their  miseries 
increased.  It  is  shocking  to  think  what  multitudes  of 
them  the  eight  crusades  murdered  in  Germany,  Hun- 
gary, Lesser  Asia  and  elsewhere.  About  1349,  the  ter- 
rible massacre  at  Toledo,  forced  many  of  them 
to  kill  themselves  or  change  their  religion.  In  Persia 
they  were  universally  murdered,  4 very  few  escaping  to 
Turkey.  They  have  at  different  times  been  expelled 
from  every  part  of  the  world.  From  age  to  age  they 
have  been  exposed  to  miseries,  persecution  and  mur- 
der ; yet  they  exist  in  spite  of  ignominy  and  hatred. 
Their  land  itself  has  been  under  a never-ceasing  curse  ; 
Pagans,  Christians,  Mohammedans,  in  a word,  almost 
all  nations  have  seized  and  held  Jerusalem.  The  whole 
history  is  a standing  proof  of  the  word  of  God  ; it  so 
'signally  and  beyond  all  contradiction,  fulfills  even  to 
minute  particulars  its  numerous  predictions.  The  long- 
protracted  existence  of  the  Jews  as  a Separate  people, 
is  not  only  a standing  evidence  of  the  truth  of  pro- 
phecy, but  is  of  a kind  which  defies  hesitation,  imitation 
or  parallel.” 

It  is  quite  possible  that  the  Jews  might  have  said,  as 
many  at  this  day  do  concerning  the  fulfillment  of  the 
prophecies,  that  they  were  to  be  spiritually  understood, 
but  if  they  did  they  found  themselves  most  fearfully 
mistaken,  as  all  will  who  try  to  make  the  truth  of  the 


9 


inspired  Word  a spiritual  myth.  Now  since  in  the  past 
so  much  care  has  been  bestowed  upon  the  fulfillment  of 
the  Word,  what  authority  has  any  one  for  believing  that 
God  will  be  less  particular  about  the  literal  fulfillment  of 
His  Word  in  the  future  as  regards  both  Jews  and  Gen- 
tiles ? 

JERUSALEM  is  a place  around  which  a large  propor- 
tion of  the  prophecies  cluster  ; when  the  God  of  Jacob 
unfolded  His  plan  to  the  prophet  Daniel,  this  among 
other  things  was  in  it  : that  on  account  of  the  great 
wickedness  of  the  Children  of  Israel  their  beloved  city 
should  be  delivered  over  to  the  abomination  of  desola- 
tion until  those  things  which  God  had  determined  upon 
them  should  be  accomplished.  When  the  disciples  ask- 
ed the  Lord  Jesus  about  those  things  He  explained  the 
prophecy  in  this  way  : “ Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden 

down  of  the  Gentiles  until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  are 
fulfilled.”  The  fulfillment  commenced  about  forty  years 
after  the  crucifixion  of  Christ,  when  Jerusalem  was 
seized  and  the  whole  city,  except  three  towers  and  a 
small  part  of  the  wall,  w&s  razed  to  the  ground.  Vespa- 
sian ordered  the  whole  land  to  be  sold,  thus  transferring 
Jerusalem  and  its  vicinity  into  the  possession  of  the 
Gentiles  to  be  trodden  under  their  feet.  When  God 
curses,  man  cannot  annul  or  reverse  it.  The  Emperor 
Julian  proved  the  truth  of  this  assertion  when  in  A.  D. 
360,  being  sensible  that  the  evident  accomplishment  of 
our  Lord’s  prophecy  concerning  the  Jewish  nation  made 
a strong  impression  upon  the  Gentiles  and  was  the  prin- 
cipal means  of  their  conversion,' he  resolved  to  deprive 
Christianity  of  this  support  by  bringing  the  Jews  to  oc- 
cupy their  own  land  and  by  allowing  them  the  exercise 
of  their  religion.  For  this  purpose  he  resolved  to  re- 
build Jerusalem  and  to  rear  the  temple  upon  its  ancient 
foundations,  because  he  knew  that  only  there  they  would 
offer  sacrifices.  In  the  prosecution  of  this  design  he 
wrote  to  the  Jews  a letter,  which  is  still  extant,  inviting 
them  to  return  to  their  native  country,  and  for  their  en- 
couragement he  said  to  them  : “ The  Holy  City,  Jerusa- 


lem,  which  of  many  years  ye  have  desired  to  see  inhab- 
ited, I will  rebuild  by  mine  own  labor,”  and  he  began  to 
rebuild  the  temple,  but  his  workmen  were  soon  obliged 
to  desist  by  an  immediate  and  evident  interposition  of 
God.  Terrible  balls  of  fire  bursting  forth  near  the  foun- 
dations with  frequent  explosions,  oft  times  burning  the 
workmen,  rendered  the  place  inaccessible  and  put  a stop 
to  the  work.  Thus  while  Jews  and  heathen  -under  the 
direction  of  the  Roman  emperor  united  their  whole 
force  to  baffle  our  Lord’s  prediction  they  did  but  the  more 
conspicuously  accomplish  it.  This  miraculous  interposition 
is  attested  by  many  credible  witnesses  and  historians,  in 
particular  by  Marcillinus,  a heathen  and  friend  of  Julian, 
and  by  Zemuth  David,  a Jew,  who  honestly  confesses 
that  the  emperor  was  hindered  by  God  in  this  attempt. 
Socrates  wrote  his  account  within  fifty  ^years  of  the 
transaction  and  while  many  of  the  eye  witnesses  were 
living.  In  the  crusades  all  the  power  of  Europe  was 
employed  to  rescue  Jerusalem  from  the  heathen,  but  in 
vain.  The  Jews  have  been  even  more  zealous  to  gain  pos- 
session of  their  city,  and  amid  all  the  degradation,  insult 
and  injustice  heaped  upon  them  for  more  than  eighteen 
hundred  years  their  love  for  the  City  of  David  has  been 
undying,  no  distance  of  time  or  space  can  alienate  it, 
and  though  they  have  made  repeated  efforts  to  recover 
it,  they  have  never  been  able  to  enter  it  by  right  until 
1878,  when  through  England,  by  a Jew,  God  opened  a 
door  of  great  possibilities  to  this  people.  Does  any  one 
presume  to  believe  that  a Divine  interposition  would 
hinder  the  building  of  Jerusalem  to-day  ? If  that 
part  of  the  Scriptures  bearing  on  this  subject  were 
distinctly  understood,  there  would  be  occasion  for  sur- 
prise, for  between  the  removal  of  the  curse  and  the 
coming  of  Christ  there  is  no  intervening  event  in 
prophecy  ; the  one  follows  close  on  the  other. 


THE  RELATION  THAT  THE  GOSPELS  BEAR  TO  THE  OLD 
TESTAMENT  IN  THE  FULFILLMENT  OF 
THE  PROPHECIES. 

Just  where  the  close  of  the  indignation  or  the  lifting 
of  the  curse  forms  a dividing  line  between  two  great 
periods  is  a pivotal  point  on  which  balances  a matter  of 
great  moment,  not  only  to  the  Christian  but  also  to  the 
unchristian  world.  At  this  point  we  meet  a difficulty;  the 
Gospel  writers  do  not  mention  the  Restoration,  whereas 
a large  portion  of  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament 
have  reference  to  the  final  return  of  scattered  Israel. 
Nov/  if  the  coming  of  Christ,  spoken  of  in  the  Gospels, 
be  at  the  end  of  time  and  this  present  Gospel  dispensa- 
tion is  to  continue,  then  must  the  Restoration  described 
by  Ezekiel  and  Zechariah,  also  the  Revelation  be  useless 
and  superfluous  prophecies  ; one  of  two  things  must  be 
true,  either  there  is  a monstrous  contradiction  or  this 
Gospel  is  a dispensation  to  the  Gentiles  ending  with  the 
times  therein  mentioned.  Christ  makes  this  point  clear 
by  declaring  that  He  “ came  not  to  destroy  but  to  fulfill 
the  law  and  the  prophets  ; ” this  declaration,  then,  is  the 
foundation  and  keystone  of  the  whole  structure.  The 
Gospels,  in  the  fulfillment  of  the  prophecies,  carry  the 
church  to  a fixed  and  definite  period  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment ; this  period  as  shown  by  the  prophet  is  the  end  or 
consummation  of  the  indignation  poured  out  upon  the 
Jews.  History,  as  well  as  the  Bible,  proves  that  the 
Gentiles  were  the  instruments  for  accomplishing  the  in- 
dignation ; it  is  therefore  evident  that  now  when  God 
has  removed  this  great  curse  from  Jerusalem,  that  the 
times  of  the  Gentiles  have  begun  to  end,  and  a new 
order  of  things  has  commenced  ; had  the  Restoration  be- 
longed to  the  Gentile  or  Christian  administration,  it 
would  most  surely  have  been  so  stated  in  the  Gospel, 
for  there  is  no  deceit  or  variableness  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  It  is  well  known  that  between  the  beginning 
of  the  Christian  and  the  ending  of  the  Jewish  dispen- 
sation there  was  no  sudden  separation  or  distinct  line 
of  demarkation,  the  one  was  merged  into  the  other,  and 


12 


in  like  manner  this  Gentile  dispensation  is  passing  into 
the  incoming  one.  All  who  are  acquainted  with  the 
history  of  the  Mosaic  and  Christian  eras,  know  that 
they  began  with  the  Lords  order  of  re-construction  : mir- 
acles, wonders  and  great  upheavals  of  the  nations.  The 
greater  the  blessing  the  greater  the  trouble  that  ac- 
companied it.  As  this  last  and  crowning  period  of  the 
world’s  history  just  commencing  will  be  the  most  glori- 
ous, so  the  trouble  and  struggle  that'usher  it  in  will  be 
the  greatest  that  the  world  has  ever  known.  Indeed, 
this  transition  period  contains,  according  to  Scripture, 
not  only  a re-construction  of  the  moral  world,  but  al- 
so of  the  earth  itself.  Isa.  66  ; 22.  For  SI  the  new 
heavens  and  new  earth  which  I will  make  shall  remain 
before  me,  saith  the  Lord,  so  shall  your  seed  and  your 
name  remain.  This  being  the  case,  reason  must  support 
the  prophecies  of  Jeremiah,  Isaiah  and  Ezekiel,  con- 
cerning the  great  distress  of  this  re-construction  pe- 
riod. Jer.  25  ; 33.  And  the  slain  of  the  Lord  shall  be 
at  that  day  from  one  end  of  the  earth  even  unto  the 
other  end  of  the  earth,  they  shall  not  be  lamented, 
neither  gathered  nor  buried.  Isa.  24  ; 3.  The  land 
shall  be  utterly  emptied  and  utterly  spoiled.  Isa.  24  ; 
12.  In  the  city  is  left  desolation  and  the  gate  is  smit- 
ten with  destruction.  So  severe  will  be  this  judgment 
that  of  the  remaining  inhabitants  it  is  said  in  Isa.  24  ; 
13  : “ When  thus  it  shall  be  in  the  midst  of  the  land 

among  the  people,  there  shall  be  as  the  shaking  of  an 
olive-tree,  and  as  the  gleaning-grapes  when  the  vintage 
is  done.”  For  the  reason  of  this,  listen  to  the  word  of 
the  Lord  : Isa.  24  ; 5,  6.  “ The  earth  also  is  defiled  un- 
der the  inhabitants  thereof,  because  they  have  trans- 
gressed the  laws,  and  changed  the  ordinance.  Therefore 
hath  the  curse  devoured  the  earth,  and  they  that  dwell 
therein  are  desolate,  therefore  the  inhabitants  are  burn- 
ed and  few  men  left.”  Let  no  one  deceive  himself  con- 
cerning the  nature  of  that  period  following  the  close  of 
the  Gospel  harvest.  All  through  the  inspired  Word, 
from  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  to  the  last  chapter  of 


3 


Revelation,  wherever  it  is  mentioned,  it  is  styled  a day 
of  judgments,  wherein  God  will  draw  nigh  and  visit  them 
that  dwell  upon  the  earth  and  will  make  inquisition  of 
*-hem  that  have  hurt  unjustly  with  their  unrighteousness 
the  harvest  will  be  past  ; this  is  made  very  plain  by  all 
those  parables  of  our  Lord  where  He  represents  the 
wicked  being  separated  from  the  just  and  as  the  refuse 
from  the  net  and  harvest  is  destroyed,  or  burned,  such 
will  be  the  condition  of  the  impenitent  at  the  close  of 
the  Gospel  harvest.  This  destruction  will  not  be,  as 
many  think,  an  instantaneous,  but  a gradual  work,  as  is 
shown  by  the  stone  smiting  the  image  on  the  feet, 
breaking  it  in  pieces  and  it  becomes  like  chaff,  which  the 
wind  carries  away ; so  earthly  kingdoms  are  first  broken 
and  cease  to  exist  and  then  the  stone  fills  the  whole 
earth.  Although  this  is  a gradual  work  it  will  be  none 
the  less  fearful  ; it  will  be  a day  of  mourning  and  lamen- 
tation. Amos  8;  u,  12.  “Behold  the  days  come 
saith  the  Lord  God  that  I will  send  a famine  in 
the  land,  not  a famine  of  bread  nor  of  thirst  for 
water,  but  of  hearing  the  words  of  the  Lord  and 
they  shall  wander  from  sea  to  sea,  from  the  north 
even  to  the  east-  they  shall  run  to  and  fro  to  seek 
the  word  of  the  Lord  and  shall  not  find  it.”  This  time 
of  moral  re-construction  wherein  the  land  will  be 
cleansed  from  sin  and  sinners  is  also  Jacob’s  great  day 
of  trouble,  through  which  he  must  pass  before  he  can 
come  to  his  time  of  promised  good.  This,  saith  the 
Lord,  in  Jer.  30  ; 11.  “Though  I make  a full  end  of  all 
nations  whither  I have  scattered  thee,  yet  will  I not 
make  a full  end  of  thee.”  Jere.  23  ; 7,  8.  “ Behold  the 

days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  they  shall  no  more  say 
the  Lord  liveth  which  brought  the  children  of  Israel 
out  of  the  land  of  Egypt.  But  the  Lord  liveth,  which 
brought  up  and  which  led  the  seed  of  the  house  of 
Israel  out  of  the  north  country  and  from  all  countries 
wherein  I had  driven  them  ; and  they  shall  dwell  in 
their  own  land.” 


14 


The  Prophet  Daniel  speaks  of  this  period  in  plain 
terms,  bringing  in  at  the  same  time  another  important 
event.  Dan.  12  ; i.  “And  at  that  time — the  close  of  the 
indignation — shall  Michael  stand  up,  the  great  prince 
which  standeth  for  the  children  of  thy  people,  and  there 
shall  be  a time  of  trouble,  such  as  there  never  was  since 
there  was  a nation,  even  to  that  same  time  and  at  that 
time  thy  people  shall  be  delivered,  every  one  that  shall 
be  found  written  in  the  book.”  In  .Luke,  21  ; 25,  the 
Saviour  referring  His  disciples  to  the  prophecy  of  Daniel 
enlarges  and  illuminates  it.  He  tells  them  that  “ Jeru- 
salem shall  be  trodden  down  until  that  which  is  deter- 
mined shall  be  finished  and  then  there  shall  be  signs  in 
the  sun  and  in  the  moon  and  in  the  stars  ; and  upon  the 
earth  distress  of  nations  with  perplexity,  the  sea  and  the 
waves  roaring,  men’s  hearts  failing  them  for  fear  and  for 
looking  after  those  things  which  are  coming  on  the 
earth  ; for  the  powers  of  the  heavens  shall  be  shaken.” 
Then  Christ  specifies  the  first  great  event  which  is  to 
transpire  in  the  era  now  upon  us.  “ Then  shall 
they  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  a cloud,  with  power 
and  great  glory.”  What  is  He  coming  for  ? “ Watch 

ye,  therefore,  and  pray  always,  that  ye  may  be  account- 
ed worthy  to  escape  all  these  things  that  shall  come 
to  pass  and  to  stand  before  the  Son  of  Man.”  Dean  Al- 
ford says,  and  almost  every  one  bows  to  him  in  the  mat- 
ter of  interpretation,  that  he  must  insist  that  this  com- 
ing of  Christ  to  take  the  church  to  himself  is  not  the 
same  event  as  the  general  judgment.  The  deliverance  ot 
the  church  is  one  thing  and  the  judgment  is  another.  This 
separation  or  gathering  out  is  plainly  taught  in  the  Gos- 
pels, Luke  17  ; 34-36.  “ I tell  you  in  that  night  there 

shall  be  two  men  in  one  bed  ; the  one  shall  be  taken 
and  the  other  left.  Two  women  shall  be  grinding  to- 
gether ; the  one  shall  be  taken  and  the  other  left.  Two 
men  shall  be  in  one  field  ; the  one  shall  be  taken  and 
the  other  left.  In  Acts.  1 5 ; 14-17,  James  says  : “Simon 
hath  declared  how  God  at  the  first  did  visit  the  Gen- 
tiles to  take  out  of  them  a people  for  his  name.”  And 


i5 


to  this  agree  the  words  of  the  prophets  ; as  it  is  written: 
“ After  this  I wilL  return  and  will  build  again  the  taber- 
b nacle  of  David,  which  is  fallen  down  ; and  I will  build 

again  the  ruins  thereof,  and  I will  set  it  up.”  Now  we 
see  that  instead  of  the  people  of  God  remaining  upon 
I earth  during  the  peril  of  the  re-organizing  period, 

which  is  to  open  with  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  ; 
like  Noah  and  Lot,  they  are  to  be  taken  away,  but  for 
those  who  reject  Christ  there  can  be  nothing  but  trouble  ; 
it  is  said  of  them  : “ Ye  shall  remain  in  the  plagues, 

for  God  shall  not  deliver  you  because  ye  have  sinned 
against  him.”  Oh,  that  God  would  open  the  eyes  of  the 
careless  in  the  churches  as  well  as  in  the  world  ! 

At  that  point  in  the  Gospels  where  Christ  in  his  ex- 
planations ot  the  prophecies  has  defined  the  close  of  the 
Gospel  harvest,  very  many  interpreters,  leaning  on  their 
own  understanding,  have  made  a great  blunder,  becauso 
they  could  not  reconcile  these  teachings  with  their  en- 
deavor to  stretch  the  Gospel  over  a period  for  which  it 
was  never  intended  ; they  have  thrown  a spiritual  bridge 
across  the  chasm  and  say  those  things  must  be  “ spiri- 
tually understood.”  It  is  strange  that  man  cannot  see 
that  God’s  Word  cannot  be  made  over  or  modified  in 
any  way,  no  matter  how  much  it  may  be  desired  with- 
out the  greatest  danger.  We  would  most  earnestly 
caution  the  followers  of  these  bridge  builders  to  take 
care  how  they  attempt  to  cross  their  flimsy  and  rotten 
bridge,  for  when  they  come  to  the  e'dge  of  the  chasm, 
J unless  they  are  ready  to  go  up,  they  will  most  certainly 

go  down,  not  across.  That  this  doctrine  of  “spiritually 
understood,”  is  not  of  God  may  be  seen  by  a very  lit- 
tle observation.  Does  it  tend  to  soothe  and  deaden,  or 
to  aropse  the  church  to  energy  and  life  ? This  quiet- 
ing decoction  of  the  enemy  is  so  potent  that  many  of 
the  churches  are  sleeping  on  the  very  verge  of  this  most 
solemn  event.  In  the  study  of  the  Scriptures,  when- 
ever, through  unbelief  the  help  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
ignored,  the  devil  takes  advantage  and  influences  the 
mind.  Daniel  Whitby,  D.  D.,  was  evidently  thus  in- 


1 6 


fluenced  when  he  developed  a theory  for  spiritualizing, 
or  so  changing  the  meaning  of  God’s  Word  concerning 
the  Coming  of  Christ,  and  the  future  prophecies  per- 
taining to  him  as  to  make  them  of  no  effect,  teaching 
that  all  that  part  of  Scripture  bearing  on  a new  order 
or  dispensation  so  plainly  taught  all  through  the  Bible 
must  be  “ spiritually  understoqd.”  Ah,  he  did  not  see 
Satan  chuckling  over  this  new  dogma  which  he  himself 
had  instigated,  to  be  set  afloat  among  the  churches  in 
order  to  give  them  that  delightful  peace  and  safety 
feeling  which  they  now  have  ; but,  alas,  “when  they  shall 
say  peace  and  safety,  then  sudden  destruction  cometh 
upon  them.”  Thess.  5,  3.  We  fear  that  a great  harvest 
of  souls  will  be  garnered  for  Satan,  through  the  preach- 
ing of  this  false  and  dangerous  doctrine  ; and  what  ac- 
count will  those  give  to  God,  who  teach  these  hypoth- 
eses gotten  up  by  man  instead  of  the  pure  Word  of 
God.  In  the  case  mentioned  above  there  is  a fallacy, 
which  if  enforced  against  the  rest  of  the  Scriptures, 
would  undermine  the  whole,  there  is  just  as  much,  au- 
thority for  saying  that  all  that  has  been  fulfilled  should 
be  spiritually  understood,  as  that  what  is  to  come 
should  be  thus  received.  If  one  part  is  literally  true 
the  rest  must  be.  All  the  powers  of  hell  are  thrown 
against  this  door  of  knowledge,  the  devil  is  determined 
that  the  churches  shall  not  know  the  truth  concerning 
the  Coming  of  Christ  ; he  knows  full  well  what  a power 
for  good  to  the  church  and  of  damage  to  his  kingdom 
this  knowledge  would  be.  He  has  dragged  it  in  the 
dust  and  covered  it  with  ignominy  and  shame,  so  that 
Christians  are  loth  to  talk  about  this  most  beautiful  and 
glorious  doctrine.  This  fact  proves  it  to  be  God’s  truth, 
for  had  it  been  false  Satan  would  not  havfe  troubled  him- 
self so  much  about  it. 

Since  all  the  prophecies  respecting  the  curse  of  Israel 
have  been  so  exactly  and  literally  fulfilled  there  is  no 
alternative  but  to  expect  that  all  the  promises  of  good, 
which  like  brilliant  gems,  are  scattered  all  through  the 
Old  Testament,  will  be  exactly  fulfilled.  Many  ask  did 


i7 


not  Christ  command  his  disciples  to  go  into  all  the  world 
and  preach  this  Gospel  to  every  creature?  This  Gospel 
has  not  been  preached  to  every  creature,  therefore  the 
nd  of  the  Gospel  harvest  cannot  be  near.  It  must  be 
borne  in  mind  that  this  was  an  instruction,  not  a proph- 
ecy. The  Lord  of  the  harvest  sent  his  laborers  into  the 
field  saying  unto  them  : “ go  into  all  the  world,  carry 
the  G ospel  to  all  classes,  Jew,  Gentile,  bond  or  free,  be- 
cause the  Gospel  of  the  kingdom  must  be  preached  in 
all  the  world  for  a witness  unto  all  nations,  and  then 
shall  the  end  come.”  The  Gospel  must  be  published 
among  all  nations  to  fulfill  that  prophecy  which  says  : 
“ when  he  shall  have  accomplished  to  scatter  the  power 
of  the  holy  people  all  these  things  shall  be  finished.” 

The  Saviour  says  of  that  day  and  hour  knoweth  no  man, 
not  even  the  Son,  but  the  Father  ; no  two  words  in  the 
whole  Bible  have  been  so  unreasonably  magnified  and 
misapplied  as  these  same  two  little  words.  The  Father 
knew  that  men  would  press  the  Saviour  to  tell  them  the 
exact  time  of  his  coming  and  wisely  withheld  the  day 
and  the  hour,  but  left  him  free  to  give  the  signs  of  His 
appearing.  “ Now  learn  a parable  of  the  fig-tree  ; 
when  her  branches  is  tender  and  putteth  forth  leaves  ye 
know  that  summer  is  near  ; so  ye,  in  like  manner,  when 
ye  shall  see  these  things  come  to  pass  know  that  it  is 
nigh,  even  at  the  door.”  The  free  translation  is,  al- 
though the  day  and  hour  may  not  be  known,  yet  when 
ye  shall  see  the  Gospel  published  among  all  nations* and 
the  great  curse  removed  from  Jerusalem,  then  know 
that  the  end  of  the  Gospel  harvest  is  nigh.  If  men 
would  receive  the  Word  of  God  without  adulteration 
they  would  have  no  difficulty  in  knowing  when  the  time 
was  nigh.  There  is  no  instance  on  record  when  destruc- 
tion was  determined  but  the'  Lord  has  given  warning  by 
prophets  or  otherwise  Besides  the  signs  given  in  the 
New  Testament  God  has  revealed  to  us  through  the 
prophets  the  approximate  times  by  which  able  Bible  stu- 
dents have  discovered  the  closing  period  of  three  im- 
portant Bible  prophecies  : “first,  the  year  1875  as  closing 
the  count  of  the  Jewish  Sabbatic  system  which  p.oints  to 
the  great  restitution  age  ; second,  the  year  1878  as  com- 
pleting the  double  or  second  part  of  the  Jewish  chastise- 
ment ; and  third,  the  year  1881  as  marking  the  end  of  the 
Gospel  harvest.”  Now  when  the  events  of  1878  prove  it 
to  be  a correct  date  what  in  the  name  of  reason  should 
be  thought  of  the  other  ? Oh  my  God,  enlighten  the 
minds  of  men  ! 


. ■ f ; 

18 

Many  professedly  Christian  people  when 
their  views  concerning-  the  coming  of  Christ,  reply  after 
this  fashion  : “Oh,  I do  not  think  it  worth  while  to 
trouble  myself  about  these  things,  if  I am  only  ready 
that  is  all  that  is  necessary,  I do  not  believe  we  can 
know  much  about  it  any  way.”  This  answer  implies  a 
virtual  rejection  of  the  truth,  either  from  prejudice  or 
dislike  and  they  do  not  want  to  hear  it.  What  would 
such  people  think  of  a neighbor  who  knew  their  house 
would  soon  be  burned  and  should  give  ho  warning  ? The 
church  pays  a great  deal  of  attention  to  baptism,  yet  it 
is  mentioned  but  “ eleven  times,  while  the  Coming  of 
Christ  is  mentioned  fifty  times,”  being  made  prominent 
by  the  prophets,  Christ,  and  his  apostles. 

Some  say  why  is  so  much  said  about  Jerusalem,  it  is  a 
poor  place,  the  Jews  themselves  would  not  take  it  as  a 
gift,  and  more  than  that,  they  hate  the  Lord  Jesus  and 
are  very  bitter  against  Him.  Ah,  blindness  has  happen- 
ed to  them  which  ages  on  ages  under  existing  circum- 
stances could  not  remove.  The  New  Testament  gives 
no  authority  for  believing  l&^t  wi±L  esa»  feffrid  ter- 

gsrbsek  Je?malsem  or  that  their  blindness  will  be  re- 
moved until  the  appearing  of  the  Son  of  Man,  but  the 
fact  that  the  curse  is  so  far  lifted  that  Jerusalem  could  be 
restored  or  built  is  a fact  on  which  all  honest  and  earn- 
est minds  should  look  with  apprehension,  for  in  the 
course  of  prophecy  all  things  are  now  ready. 

SUMMARY.  I.  All  the  prophecies  in  the  past  concern- 
ing both  Jews  and  Gentiles  being  fulfilled  even  to  the 
minutest  particulars,  what  authority  is  there  for  believ- 
ing that  the  remaining  prophecies  will  not  be  as  surely 
and  exactly  fulfilled  ? 

II.  The  great  curse  pronounced  upon  Jerusalem  be- 
ing lifted  it  can  now  be  rebuilt  ; therefore,  the  time  of 
the  Gentiles,  as  far  as  the  curse  is  concerned,  must  be 
fulfilled. 

III.  From  the  teachings  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  the 
Gospel  harvest  follows  close  on  the  lifting  of  the  curse 
from  Jerusalem. 

IV.  The  great  day  of  trouble  and  destruction  of  sin- 
ners so  clearly  shown  by  the  prophets  and  represented 
by  Christ  as  a furnace,  according  to  the  Scriptures  must 
begin  at  His  appearing. 

V.  Notwithstanding  people  do  not  believe  these 
things  and  put  the  event  far  away,  yet  this  fact  does  not 
change  the  truth  of  the  Gospel.  “ Watch  ye,  therefore, 
tor  ye  know  not  what  hour  your  Lord  doth  come.”  Luke, 
21,  25. 


/ 


0 


* 

/ 


From  a careful  and  prayerful  study 
of  God’ s Wordy  in  connection  with  the 
events  of  this  present  time,  the  writer  is 
forced  to  the  belief  that  the  Coming  of 


